Ezekiel 21:2
in Ezekiel 21“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
KJV
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
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This verse in Ezekiel 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseIt was the honour of Israel that it had prophets and prophecy; but these, being despised by them, are turned against them. And justly is Zion battered with her own artillery, which used to be employed against her adversaries, seeing she knew not how to value it.
This site's exposition
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying
on Ezekiel 21:1-5
The Lord draws forth his sword against the land of Israel and states plainly that it will cut off the righteous and the wicked together. Gill reads the righteous alongside the wicked as the ordinary judgment that falls on a besieged city, sword, famine and captivity making no exception.
This site's exposition
set your face against Jerusalem
The parable of the forest fire in 20:45 to 48 is now spoken plainly, with Jerusalem, the sanctuaries and the land of Israel named. Barnes set the two passages side by side word for word. Matthew Henry saw Zion battered with her own artillery.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 21, Verse 1 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and drop toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel, and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Set thy face toward Jerusalem - This is a continuation of the preceding prophecy; and in this chapter the prophet sets before them, in the plainest language, what the foregoing metaphors meant, so that they could not complain of his parables.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And the word of nevuah from before Hashem was with me, saying:
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| שִׂ֤ים | sim | set | H7760 → | 584 times |
| פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ | paneikha | face your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְהַטֵּ֖ף | vehatef | and prophesy | H5197 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִקְדָּשִׁ֑ים | mikdashim | sanctuaries | H4720 → | 75 times |
| וְהִנָּבֵ֖א | vehinave' | and prophesy | H5012 → | 115 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַדְמַ֥ת | ʾadmat | [the] land of | H127 → | 225 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
שִׂ֤יםset
simH7760 →584 times
פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙face your
paneikhaH6440 →2123 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וְהַטֵּ֖ףand prophesy
vehatefH5197 →
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִקְדָּשִׁ֑יםsanctuaries
mikdashimH4720 →75 times
וְהִנָּבֵ֖אand prophesy
vehinave'H5012 →115 times
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַדְמַ֥ת[the] land of
ʾadmatH127 →225 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 28:21“Son of man, set your face against Sidon and prophesy against her.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 6:2
“Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 10:15
And Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
- Ezekiel 6:2
Through
Deuteronomy 32:2Let my teaching fall like rain and my speech settle like dew, like gentle rain on new grass, like showers on tender plants.
it leads to
- Isaiah 55:10–11
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- Psalms 72:6
May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
- Micah 5:7
Then the remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for man or linger for mankind.
- Job 29:22–23
After my words, they spoke no more; my speech settled on them like dew.
- Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Isaiah 55:10–11
Through
Ezekiel 20:46“Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against it, and prophesy against the forest of the Negev.
it leads to
- Amos 7:16
Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’
- Amos 7:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.